Going under
by kat07cullen
Summary: Edward hears his neighbours fighting every night but ignores it until he meets Bella. His medical knowledge helps him put the pieces of her abuse story together. Will Bella accept his help and can he save her from dying at Jacobs hands? Short story with themes of abuse and violence.


My name is Luka  
>I live on the second floor<br>I live upstairs from you  
>Yes I think you've seen me before<br>If you hear something late at night  
>Some kind of trouble. some kind of fight<br>Just don't ask me what it was  
>Just don't ask me what it was<br>Just don't ask me what it was  
>I think it's because I'm clumsy<br>I try not to talk too loud  
>Maybe it's because I'm crazy<br>I try not to act too proud  
>They only hit until you cry<br>And after that you don't ask why  
>You just don't argue anymore<br>You just don't argue anymore  
>You just don't argue anymore<p>

Yes I think I'm okay  
>I walked into the door again<br>Well, if you ask that's what I'll say  
>And it's not your business anyway<br>I guess I'd like to be alone  
>With nothing broken, nothing thrown<br>Just don't ask me how I am  
>Just don't ask me how I am<br>Just don't ask me how I am

Luka- Suzanne Vega

A/N: I know I have other stories to work on and I promise they will all update this week but I can't get this idea out of my head. This will be a short story of four or five chapters. Themes of abuse... you have been warned.

Chapter one

Edward Cullen lay in his bed in his first floor apartment wide awake. He had just come off a thirty two hour shift at the hospital and he was exhausted. Unfortunately his upstairs neighbours had other ideas. It was 2am and they had been fighting for the past hour.

Edward shifted and pulled a dark grey pillow over his head. In just six hours he would be on shift again and he had only managed about three hours of sleep.

The new neighbours had only moved in two weeks ago and already Edward hated them. All they ever seemed to do was fight. They lived in New York surely they could leave each other and find somebody they actually liked.

The last serious relationship Edward had, had was about eight years ago. She was a fellow med student named Tanya. The relationship had been alright but at twenty they both felt too young for any big commitment. They had just drifted apart under the pressures of medical school. She was now happily married to some guy called Alec and they lived in a small town on the West Coast. Edward had become a trauma surgeon and now worked at one of the biggest hospitals in New York.

The pillow didn't seem to help. He threw it at the ceiling which didn't help much either. Finally he heard a door slam and then silence. In seconds he was fast asleep.

Two days later

Edward was feeling much happier this morning. His shift last night had ended at 2am and apparently his neighbours fighting for the night was over by the time he got home. After a solid eight hours of sleep he was feeling normal again. Just a short six hour shift today then he had two days off.

His plans included sleeping all day and hanging out with his brothers Jasper and Emmett. Emmett was cop and Jasper was a lawyer. They all worked hectic hours and looked forward to any down time they had.

He jogged down the flight of steps to the ground floor and crashed into a young woman walking up the stairs.

"Shit sorry I didn't see you there."

Edward bent down to help her pick up the books she was carrying.

"It's fine please don't worry about it. I am a bit clumsy."

He handed back her books.

"I am pretty sure it was me being stupid that caused the crash."

She lifted her eye's and looked at him.

"Really don't worry about it. I am Bella by the way."

"Hi I'm Edward nice to meet you."

He held out his hand but Bella didn't take it.

"I live on the second floor. Hey I think I have the apartment above yours."

She smiled for a second then it quickly turned to a frown.

"I better go. See you around sometime Edwards."

She ran off before he could say anything.

Bella nervously put the key in the apartment door hoping that her boyfriend Jake wasn't home. I crash in the kitchen put her nerves on edge. She knew it was her fault that he hit her. Jake had explained many times that she was nothing without him and the punches were to keep her in line.

"Hey honey, I just went to the library quickly to get some books I need for research."

She knew every other author used the internet or interviews for research but Jake would never allow that. Sometimes she had to remind herself of the kind boy she knew in high school. All that was happening now must be because she had done something to deserve it.

Jake walked around the corner.

"Why do you keep up with this stupid writing idea? Am I not man enough for you? Do I not bring home enough money for miss full of shit?"

"You bring home plenty of money Jake. The writing is just for my own pleasure."

She didn't say that lately her writing was her only form of escape.

"Well I think your place should be cleaning the apartment and looking after me? Look at this place Bella. It's a pigsty."

"I am sorry Jake I will clean it right now."

"You better or you will be sorry when I get home from work."

He leant in and kissed her. Bella felt the usual bile and revulsion rising in her throat.

At last he left and Bella could get back to the writing she loved so much.

Edward got back home just after one am. He might have had a shot shift at the hospital but he had supper with his brothers and their girlfriends. It had been a wonderful night but he was drunk enough to really want his bed.

He collapsed into bed with hic clothes still on. A loud scream just above him started the nightly performance.

He lay in the dark and thought about the beautiful brown eyed girl he had met today. She seemed so innocent and sweet. His thoughts jumbled around what could be so wrong in the relationship of his new neighbours. Alcohol eventually lulled him to sleep.

The next day

Edward was whistling as he walked out of his apartment towards his Volvo S60. The day was clear and he and his brothers planned on meeting up for a hike in the Catskill mountains.

Just then he saw Bella walking towards him.

"Hey Bells."

She just walked past him.

Edward jogged backwards and caught her arm.

"Hey are you okay?"

Bella just looked at the ground.

"Please don't ask me that?"

"Bella please look at me."

She pulled her gaze from the ground and looked at him. She had been crying and her eyes where puffy and red. On her cheek was the welt from where Jake had slammed her head into the table last night for not cleaning the apartment.

Edward ran his thumb along the red mark. His eyes where full of concern as he looked at her.

"What happened Bella?"

"I told I am clumsy I walked into the door last night."

"That looks pretty nasty. You should come by the hospital some time and let me take a look at it. Just ask for ."

"Thanks but I am fine really."

"Bella, you are going to get a black eye from that."

"I know it's fine. Please just leave me alone Edward."

"Fine but please take care of yourself Bella. I am just downstairs if you need me."

Bella ran away from him towards the building.

Edward got into his car and decided to make a quick stop on his way to Jaspers. He had seen the marks of clumsy people and he had seen plenty of abused people in his line of work. Bella was definitely the latter in his eyes.

At the hospital he went straight to the nurses station and gave Jasper's girlfriend Alice his biggest smile.

"Ally could you please look for a patient file for a Miss Isabella Swan?"

"Edward what are you doing at work?"

"Please Ally this is important."

She looked confused.

"I haven't seen a new file for trauma."

"No Ally this would be an old file."

Edward lowered his voice.

"She lives in the apartment above me. Look I know I shouldn't get involved but I am pretty sure her boyfriend is abusing her. I just want to see how often she has come into the hospital and the type of injuries."

"Alright but only if you promise to help her."

'Scouts honour."

Alice quickly brought the file up on the computer and showed it to Edward.

As he looked through all the entries a horrible feeling started in the pit of his stomach. This was definitely abuse and he had to do something about it before Bella died at this guys hands.

Enjoy and please review.


End file.
